The critical first step to getting unstuck

Most of us don’t. It’s human nature. Our brains find better pleasure in avoiding the things, people, and situations that get us stuck—and all the feelings, thoughts, and actions that come with them

It took Leonardo da Vinci 16 years to complete the Mona Lisa. Writers Truman Capote and Dorothy Parker were famous for missing deadlines. And if runner Roger Bannister followed his first impulse, he may have never set a four-minute–mile record.

We all have a tendency to distract ourselves from our stuck moments. For instance, when you hit a snag, do you find yourself:

• Running lots of errands or otherwise filling up your day (“See, I’m not procrastinating)?

• Eating your way to happiness (“But I like cake”)?

• Volunteering to head up the fundraising benefit at your kids’ school (“Nothing is more important than my child’s education”)?